Megh Ale is one of Nepal’s leading figures in rafting. Having spent several years working and exploring the rivers and jungles of Nepal, including four years at the Royal Bardiya National Park as a naturalist, Megh is always ready to share his deep understanding of Nepal and its myriad of cultures, plants and animals. He is the founder and president of the NRCT, Nepal River Conservation Trust and the Managing Director of Ultimate Descents Nepal. (borderland resorts).

He says: “Building a new nation will require foresight and emphasis on sustainable development, and so does river management, the Bhote Kosi is the Everest of rafting. Just as the mountain, the river deserves protection and honour”. (Liquid Gold).

Namaste! Welcome to Ultimate Descents Nepal. Venturing into the unknown is the spirit of exploration and it is not as difficult as first imagined. Established in the year 1987 by Mr. Megh Ale, Ultimate Descents Nepal is the name of the Nepal’s premier rafting organization. With years of experience in hospitality as well as in Nepal’s whitewater, Ultimate Descents is also very proud to claim the Nepal Tourism Award for last five consecutive years … (full text).

85 percent of Nepal’s population depends on rivers for agriculture or other subsistence activities. Megh educates river communities to become key players in the environmental conservation of the rivers on which their country depends. He organizes river festivals throughout the country and builds coalitions between environmental organizations and the tourism industry. He has created jobs for river communities by expanding river tourism, in the process educating guides about conservation techniques. Finally, Megh works with schools to build a new generation of children more likely to take action and create a healthier environment in the future. He is an ashoka fellow since 2007.

He says also: “The areas along the riverside that have been most affected by quarrying are areas where the workers have built low makeshift bridges connecting the two shores of the river for easy transport of quarried materials. Quarrying has spoiled the aesthetic beauty of the natural surroundings. If you look left and right, you will see dry barren ground. Landslides have destroyed trees and shrubs that were there earlier. This is one instance of how the river environment has been adversely impacted. However, quarrying has not had any impact on rafting and kayaking adventure sports on these rivers. “Building of houses or shacks should not be permitted within 25 meters of the river. On either side of the river, trees, shrubs and foliage should be planted to mitigate landslides and flash floods. “In Nepal, people have a very narrow vision of river development. All they can think of is hydro power plants! They think the bigger a power plant or dam on a particular river, the greater the scale of work, and hence the bigger the commissions. This is the concept here. People should focus on conserving and managing the rich water resources. For that to happen, a change in attitude is needed”. (mtnForum).

… The World Environment Day was the auspicious occasion chosen to inaugurate this years Bagmati River Festival. About 100 participants from several schools, colleges, locals and journalists gave hands to whip up the rubbish from the heavily polluted Bagmati River. The cleanup campaign of the Bagmati was from the Aryaghat-Pashupatinath to the Tilganga Eye Hospital stretch. This was an event organized to mark the launching of the 5th Bagmati River Festival. The series of conservation programs are designed for this year’s festival … (full text).

Nepal’s rivers are being polluted day by day. Such pollution happens generally when they passes through the urban areas. The Seti, one of the major rivers of Nepal, which passes through the heart of Pokhara, a tourist capital of Nepal, is now in the verge of major pollution. Environmentalists have warned that the Seti is changing into another Bagmati, one of the most polluted rivers of Nepal in the capital, Kathmandu. “We have to bring awarness programs to save the Seti,” says Megh Ale, founder president of Nepal River Conservation Trust … (full text).